To come to know God — the true God — means to receive hope, says Pope Benedict XVI in “Spe Salvi,” his second encyclical. Today many people seek redemption through science and politics rather than through religion, he notes. But technology and political programs ultimately disappoint and can sometimes harm, he says. “Man needs God,” he says, for that trustworthy hope that allows us to face our present. “The present, even if it is arduous, can be lived and accepted if it leads toward a goal, if we can be sure of this goal and if this goal is great enough to justify the effort of the journey.” (Subscribers: Click here)